W. L. Newkirk’s recent award-winning stage plays include East Lansing (Best Play, 2014 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival), 5 to 4 (Best Play, 2015 4 X 6 Fest), In Me (2015 Vigoda Award, Best Dramedy), The Nude (Finalist, EdgeFest 2016), and [Miss] (Finalist, FutureFest 2016). He holds degrees from the Ohio State University and Harvard, where he was a John Harvard Scholar and Lecturer. He has received awards for his contributions to the arts and sciences, including recognition from the Daniel Hanley Trust for “Courage, Leadership and Innovation.” He lives in Celebration, Florida. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.